Holtz Gives Prize Recruit Shot At Qb Job

February 04, 1993|By Joseph Tybor.

Coach Lou Holtz, flush with the signing of a recruiting class aimed at filling critical needs for Notre Dame next season, said quarterback Ron Powlus will have every opportunity to win the starting job in September.

Powlus, the 6-foot-3-inch, 210-pounder from Berwick, Pa., has been compared by his high school coach and recruiting analysts to Dan Marino. He is said to have a quick release and a strong arm, is schooled in reading defenses and is a tough competitor.

" I feel as good about him as any quarterback who has come in as a freshman," said Holtz as he discussed his recruiting class, one of the top three in the nation along with Florida State and Michigan. "We have not promised him anything except an opportunity."

Notre Dame beat Pittsburgh, Stanford, Penn State and Miami to get Powlus, and his enrollment at Notre Dame next fall will put him in a quarterback contest with Kevin McDougal and Paul Failla.

Holtz said his aim is to come out of spring practice with a starting offense and then give the freshmen an opportunity to show if they are better.

McDougal, who will be a senior, and Failla, a junior next season, have played only in mop-up roles behind Rick Mirer. McDougal threw only 11 passes last season, Failla seven.

Failla, potentially an early-round pick in the baseball draft, doesn't plan to skip any spring football drills if they conflict with baseball. He intends to compete with Powlus and McDougal for the starting job.

"He has a great career ahead of him-in a couple of years," Failla said of Powlus.

"I don't think we should underestimate Failla," Holtz said. "He has a lot of intangibles that are very positive. He's going to get an awful lot of reps this spring, as is McDougal."

Recruits Randy Kinder, whom the Irish wooed away from Michigan, and Robert Farmer, from Bolingbrook, will be given a shot at running back.

Holtz disclosed that Willie Clark, a speedster who was slated to be switched from defensive back to running back, is not in school now and his return is uncertain. That opens up the tailback position even more.

The Irish also snared four linebackers who are rated among the top eight in the nation.

Given the youth and inexperience of his offense for 1993, Holtz said it would benefit Notre Dame to play in one of the kickoff games before the regular season. But so far, there are no plans to do so.

He also said that, with the departures of Mirer, running backs Jerome Bettis and Reggie Brooks, linemen Lindsay Knapp and Justin Hall and tight end Irv Smith, it would be foolish for anyone to rank the Irish in the preseason top 25.

"Anyone who would do that ought to be given a saliva test and tested for drugs," Holtz said.